Collection of Birdmen ficlets
by Dark Ice Dragon
Summary: Collection of Birdmen ficlets.
1. Resonate

**Summary** : Sou hears the others for the first time.

Set during chapter 2.

I've currently only read up to chapter 6, so if this got explored later, whoops. XD; I was just too excited to wait, heh.

Another collection of fics because I think I might be spamming for a bit, pfft.

* * *

 **Resonate  
**

By Dark Ice Dragon

* * *

Something has been tapping at Sou's attention all day, following him home. It's not a call for help — there's none of the urgency he's used to, or his wings demanding he help.

Instead, while his wings aren't quiet in his mind, it's like…an echo. Resonating.

It's never felt this before but he _knows_. The wings know.

They can sense other people who have wings. It had worked. It had finally worked.

Sou lets out a long exhale, making sure he remembers it. If he got those feelings confused the next time someone called for help…

But he won't.

There's no way he could make a mistake with them. There's a warmth there, a calmness that isn't like the jagged panic that pierces his mind when he's called.

His shoulder blades itch and he turns his head to the east, already stripping out of his shirt. Every second counts when someone's d…

It's not a call to be saved.

It's a call for _him.  
_

He's heard them before, but those had been flickers, a lone match in a misty field. This he can feel as if they're connected to his head, the intent clear, and his wings flare again.

And his mind is resonating harder. It's not hard to figure out who's calling him.

His wings unfurl as he throws the rest of his clothes off, squeezing out his window before his wings get too big.

It doesn't take too long to get to Tengu Bridge and he sees the four standing on the helipad, their wings out as their voices buzz in his head. They don't have their armour out yet, but it had taken him a few days to find out about that, to get so in tune with his wings to test what else he could do with them.

And then it hits him. It really hits him.

He'd seen Karasuma in class alive, but the contract might not have worked. All he could remember of his own contract was sharing blood through the haze of losing consciousness. There might have been more to it, but it looks like there isn't.

Which means he needs to teach them what he knows before the next Black Out.

They still haven't reacted to him yet, probably don't realise they can sense him.

He needs to figure out what to start with, what's most important.

Sou backs off, turns and flies back home to prepare.


	2. Wonder

**Summary** : Sou wonders.

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 **Wonder  
**

By Dark Ice Dragon

* * *

Sou wonders, sometimes. During the quiet periods between attacks, between the calls for help.

He wonders about the woman who had saved his life, if she's still alive. If she's saved others and isn't alone.

He knows now what it's like to have others around him, to be able to pinpoint their exact location without looking, their thoughts skirting his as they go about their lives.

He hasn't felt something like that for her, but it's maybe because of the distance. She might be on another continent, saving people there.

(One part of Sou doubts that; he knows what the wings know and they can sense their brethren wherever they are.)

So he watches the sky, keeping an eye out for a set of wings he hasn't seen in years, wondering if he'll see her again.


	3. Filter

**Summary** : Sou's gotten used to filtering the voices of the others out of his head.

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 **Filter  
**

By Dark Ice Dragon

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Sou's gotten used to filtering the voices of the others out of his head. He had to, or else they would crowd his head worse than the wings. He can still hear them, but it's a white noise at the back of his mind, something he doesn't pay much attention to while he's studying.

Karasuma's thoughts are the one that bumps into his the most, spikes of emotion that the other boy tries to hide, anger clinging to them the most out of the others.

Kamoda's is the opposite, water to Karasuma's fire, and Sou can hear his chants as Kamoda meditates before his mind is cleared.

Sou hears light laughter from Umino as she studies, her thoughts sparkling when she understands the problem she's been working on.

Sagisawa's thoughts are quiet and Sou sometimes sees flashes of other people, Sagisawa always observing, longing for something but not stepping forward.

When Sou feels Karasuma's emotions spike, he doesn't think much of it. Karasuma's emotions normally do that.

Panic buzzes in Sou's head like someone shaking a bee's hive there and he pauses, looking in Karasuma's direction. Panic isn't something he normally feels from Karasuma, but he hasn't called out…

Do the others know they can do that?

Sou hisses at phantom pain in his chest. Not only his chest. His hip and his wing.

Not his pain. _Karasuma's_.

Sou's clothes are off in an instant and he shoots to where he knows Karasuma is.


	4. Preening Tendencies

**Summary** : The bird club get slightly distracted.

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 **Preening Tendencies  
**

By Dark Ice Dragon

* * *

Tsubame had heard from the others that Takayama was sometimes the first at their meeting spot, sometimes the last. She guessed he was patrolling the skies while he waited. This time he was the last to show up and the others had decided to wait for him to appear.

So she wasn't that surprised when Takayama landed between her and Rei-kun, his wings flared out; she'd known he was coming, her sensing power stronger than it used to be.

"Hey, Takayama!" she greeted with a smile.

"Hey…" Takayama's voice was fainter than usual, a small frown tugging down the corner of his lips.

He was staring at her. No, he was staring at her hair.

Huh? Before Tsubame could ask, Takayama's hand had flashed up and tucked a stray lock of hair back behind a clip.

Oh! Tsubame patted her head, making sure nothing else was out of place. "Thanks!"

Takayama's frown relaxed a little, giving her a nod, before he turned his gaze onto Rei-kun.

Rei-kun had seen everything that had happened and his eyes widened when Takayama took a step towards him. "My hair's messy too?"

"Yes."

Smiling at their antic, Tsubame settled down again to watch Takayama would do with Rei-kun.

xOx

Eishi narrowed his eyes at Takayama, Umino and Sagisawa playing around before he turned his head away with a huff. They could waste time if they wanted — he would-

"Ei-chan?" Kamoda plopped down next to him, his legs splayed out. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." What could _possibly_ be bothering him? It would help if his wings would _stop itching_ but that was probably something to do with them growing.

"Your wings are all knotted up."

"And that's just-" Eishi sucked in a breath, that not-static electricity that happened whenever one of the others touched him while they were transformed shooting through him. He snapped his head around to see Kamoda had leaned back on one hand, his other hand inside Eishi's wing.

"What are you _doing?"  
_

The — tentacles? Whatever the wings were _really_ made of curled around Kamoda's fingers, like they were trying to wrap up as much of Kamoda as possible. Eishi shifted, trying to get used to the weird sensations. It was like Kamoda had reached inside him, but there wasn't any pain and Eishi could feel exactly what he was doing.

"I told you," Kamoda said, still focused on Eishi's wing, "your wing is all knotted up."

As Kamoda moved his fingers down, the tentacles followed, stretching a little, and Eishi blinked, the itchiness leaving.

Kamoda grinned, removing his hand. "There, done!"

Eishi wanted to reach back and check what Kamoda had done, but his hands wouldn't reach that far, and his wings told him everything was in the right place now.

…Had…Kamoda _preened_ him? And was that what Takayama had been doing earlier with Umino and Sagisawa? Eishi glanced over at the others, but they were already walking over, like they hadn't just been distracted.

Hm. Did they have preening tendencies now because they were birdmen or was it just Takayama and Kamoda? Kamoda did like being physical with him and being in his space, but the other boy had never went as far as straightening Eishi's hair.

Eishi exhaled as he got to his feet, Kamoda doing the same. He'd just observe the others and see if they also showed the same tendencies.

* * *

Because there are wings. It was only a matter of time before I did preening fic, heh.


	5. Black

**Summary** : Eishi stared at the sink, at the _ink_ that was staining the white porcelain. Because. Because that couldn't be his blood.

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 **Black  
**

By Dark Ice Dragon

* * *

Eishi stared at the sink, at the _ink_ that was staining the white porcelain. Because. Because that _couldn't_ be his blood.

But his fingers were black, the blood dripping out of him staying the same colour. The colour of his wings.

He was sure he could see the blood moving like they had a mind of its own, spreading out with tiny tendrils against gravity, trying to find a new host.

S-shit. Eishi wanted to back away, to deny just how far he was from anything on Earth now, but the other part of him was cataloguing everything, trying to measure how long it had taken for him to reach this point. His blood had been red when Tatsume had taken it a few weeks ago, so the change had been fast.

[ _You're yelling_ ,] came Takayama's voice, his voice disinterested.

Eishi jerked his head towards where he knew Takayama was. [ _I know I am!_ ] How couldn't he yell after finding this out? [ _Did you know about this?_ ] Except he already had an feeling what the ans-

[ _No._ ]

" _Augh!_ " Sometimes Takayama knew how everything about how their wings worked; other times he was completely useless because he didn't pay enough attention!

Fine. Eishi stared at his hand as the wound sealed up without leaving a scar. That was something else that came with awakening. That meant they had more information and it was something else he could talk with Tatsume with.

He was about to run the tap before he hesitated, reaching for some toilet paper instead. He wasn't sure what could happen if his blood got into the water system so it would be better if he burned all traces. 

* * *

Written for betterprompts' 'Blue-grey blood swirled down the drain, staining the cracks in the tile as it went.'


	6. Remember

**Summary** : Robin exhaled as she landed, wrapping her wings around her, leaving space for the bouquets. Whenever Leo gave her some free time between training, she left to come here.

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 **Remember  
**

By Dark Ice Dragon

* * *

Robin exhaled as she landed, wrapping her wings around her, leaving space for the bouquets. Whenever Leo gave her some free time between training, she left to come here. She didn't try to hide where she was going, the electronic tag dragging her ankle.

Leo knew where she was.

He didn't care.

Just so long as she returned within the time limit.

She was at a waterfall, similar to the one they had all rested at when they'd first escaped their farm. Night had fallen though, everything a wash of grey with moonlight edging in.

Closing her eyes, she measured out her steps, seeing some of the previous flowers she'd left. They could have been disturbed by animals or wind so she kept counting.

Robin didn't know what had been done with the bodies. She hadn't been allowed to see them, recovering from the gunshot wound instead. So she'd had to do this instead, make their own graveyard with no bodies or headstones.

"Parrot… Fly… Canary…"

One by one, she set down the flowers, her voice wavering. There had been too many to bring flowers all at once and there was never enough.

"Gull… Mayur… Milan…'

There were names she didn't have, those she hadn't gotten to properly speak with before everything had been shot down. But she remembered their faces. Remembered the panic as they fell. Every person was etched into her memory.

"Arthur…"

Because who else was there to remember them?

* * *

Inspired by deepwaterwritingprompts's 'The monster graveyard was always dark, dangerous, and full of flowers.'


	7. Welcome Home

**Summary** : Irene returns.

I've read up to chapter 40 and just wanted to write this, heh.

* * *

 **Welcome Home  
**

By Dark Ice Dragon

* * *

Irene cut through the air, the wind whistling past. In some ways flying still didn't feel natural to her — she was used to something solid under her hands and feet. Falling was different, the way her stomach was dragged up to her chest as she saw the ground getting closer with each second. Flying, relying on limbs she hadn't had a few months before... She knew her wings were strong, knew every time they kept her up in the air with every beat, but there was also one part of her that was suspicious, waiting for that one moment where it wouldn't work and she'd fall higher than she ever had before.

But that hadn't happened yet and Irene closed her eyes, heading for the closest signal she felt. She could pinpoint the others, one of them feeling different from before, pulsing with more power, equal to the others now, and there was one missing. She could guess who those two were.

There were a few lights on when Irene arrived at the shrine and she dropped down, looking around. This was where she'd woken up the first time she'd became a seraph, she was sure of it. It looked different under moonlight, dark shadows covering everything, but that was better for her.

Sneaking in was easy, especially with her wings, and she wrapped them around her as she paused to listen. There were a few creaks from the other side of the building, where the other seraph was. Kamoda? She'd been overwhelmed with voices swarming in her head at the time but she was fairly sure that's what the other boy was called.

She hadn't had the chance to look around before and she took her time as she headed for Kamoda. High ceilings, though thinner corridors than most Eden buildings. The air was fresh, where air was allowed to blow in. It was different from the China farm and she relaxed with every step.

She hadn't minded the other seraphim in the China farm, but they weren't like her, had never been a modified human constantly compared to the seraphim favourites. It was the same for the seraphim here, but the airlog felt different here. More comfortable rather than feeling like she didn't quite fit there.

Irene had thought it was because she was a modified human that she felt apart from the seraphim, but coming back to Japan, it had to be something else.

Coming back to Japan and feeling the airlog the seraphim had here felt like returning home.

Kamoda didn't notice her until she was nearly at the room he was in.

[ _Huh? Who're-_ ] There was a quick poke in her direction.

[ _Nice welcome,_ ] Irene replied wryly, giving a small push of her own.

 _Excitement_ flooded the airlog and Irene was bundled up into a warm mental hug before she could react, the airlog packed with chatter she couldn't keep track of. It was all Kamoda, his thoughts swerving in multiple different directions before she had even finished hearing one.

[ _Stay there!_ ] A second's pause. [ _Come here! I'll be back in a sec!_ ] As soon as he said that, he dashed away.

Huh. There was nothing else on the airlog after that and Irene shrugged, her claws clicking against the floor as she went over to the room.

It looked like a bedroom, a bed shoved under the window, drawers and cupboards lining almost all of the walls, and a couple of posters and clothing hanging off the space that was left.

Irene walked over to the bed and flopped back onto it, her wings moving out the way. She tucked her legs up, eyeing the window. She shouldn't be seen from that angle, but she could never be too sure about that.

Excitement burst over the airlog again, Kamoda getting what he'd wanted and Irene sensed him coming closer again.

The door opened, Kamoda with a large grin spread over his face. The smile faltered for a second, his eyes widening when he saw her. There were two cats dangling under Kamoda's arms, one striped and the other white with black splotches. They seemed to be content being held like that, but as soon as they saw her they perked up, wriggling out of Kamoda's arms.

"Ah - hey!" Kamoda cried out, his face falling as he chased after them. "I wanted to introduce you!"

The cats ran to her, hopping up onto the bed, the black and white one heading straight for her shoulders. The striped one stopped at her lap, rolling over there and wriggling. Once the black and white one was on her shoulders, it nuzzled her cheek, purring.

"Hey," she said softly, responding back with a soft purr as she petted them both. She still missed Bolt, and the pair were nowhere near big enough to sleep against like she used to, Bolt's purrs reverberating through her entire body, but this would be enough for now.

When Irene looked up again, Kamoda was gone. Finding something else? He was still close so Irene unfolded a wing, dangling a feather above the striped cat's head. They played like that while they waited, the cats chasing her wings and when they pounced, their claws were kept in.

Kamoda came back a couple of minutes later, a plate laden with food. "You didn't get to eat last time!" Kamoda declared, closing his door with a foot. "It's only leftovers, but you have to be hungry."

There was no question about where she'd been, why or how she'd come back now, Kamoda seemingly focused on the fact that she had to be hungry. Which she was, pangs clutching her stomach as she stared at the food, but the scientists at Eden would have questioned her first before letting her eat.

"This isn't for you," Kamoda scolded lightly as the cats started meowing at him when he put the plate down.

"It isn't?" Irene looked at all the food and then at the cats. There was more than enough for all of them.

Kamoda nodded, picking up the striped cat as it headed for the plate. "They've already eaten tonight, so don't give in to them!" He stroked the cat as the cat settled back into his arms. "This one's Kuu, and you've got Nehan."

Irene repeated the names to herself as she leaned forward to swipe the food, Nehan adjusting to stay balanced on her shoulders.

The food was good, and she hummed as she ate, feeling fuller by the second. It wasn't good enough to distract her from sensing others approaching and she tilted her head back in the direction they were coming from. There were three, which wasn't that surprising.

[ _So you finally came back_ ,] came over the airlog and she heard the relief hidden there. She recognised _that_ voice.

[ _Yeah!_ ] She smirked, taking another bite. That was the good thing about the airlog: they could still talk while eating. [ _You were causing a ruckus where I was — everyone wanted to know who you were and who you were trying to talk to._ ]

[ _Urk-!_ ]

The messages had kept coming every week, so Takayama must not have returned even after that. If she'd heard his voice in _China_ , where did Takayama have to be to not hear that?

[ _W-well, we'll be there soon._ ]

Irene nodded as Kamoda sent back, [ _I've got food!_ ]

While she waited, Irene was going to _eat as much as she could_ and bask in their comforting energies.


End file.
